MUSKEGON, MI – The 109 years of making paper at 2400 Lakeshore Dr. along the shores of Muskegon Lake are ingrained in the community’s history.

Some see the Oct. 27 “implosion” of the former Sappi Fine Paper as an historic end of an era and a new beginning for the Muskegon Lake waterfront. Sappi was the largest of the remaining industrial uses on Muskegon Lake.

2009: Operations of the remaining paper machine No. 5 are suspended due to economic conditions. Several months later Sappi announces the permanent closure of the Muskegon mill, eliminating the final 190 jobs.

2010: Sappi auctions off all of its equipment and it’s removed by early 2011.

2011: Sappi sells entire 119-acre site to Melching Inc., a Nunica demolition company. The site with nearly a mile of Muskegon Lake shoreline has a deed restriction limiting redevelopment to industrial uses.

2012: Melching begins the long process of demolishing the more than 1 million square feet of industrial facilities. A huge public debate over the environmental conditions at the waterfront site and future uses ends up with a successful city ballot proposal rezoning the property for “waterfront marine.”

2013: A Muskegon County judge rules that city voters do not have the power to rezone property through ballot initiative as indications are that Melching is close to selling the property to an unknown group. The final demolition work continues with the planned Oct. 27 “implosion” of the paper mill power plant.